Not exactly goofing off
by Dark Seraphim
Summary: What the Crimson Squad does when they're not working. Yaoi. Gippalai.


Author's Note: This fic was sitting among other files for about two years. I wrote it for ff_exchange on livejournal with the prompts: Baralai/Gippal, with machina in there somewhere/ FFX-2, Crimson Squad Goofing off. Those who made the request liked it just fine, but the moderator felt that I could have done better. I admit that's true. I eventually decided to correct any mistakes I could find and simply post it. Enjoy!

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Finding something to do in Bikanel desert proved much easier than anyone could ever imagine, especially if a deck of cards added to the equation. Members of the Crimson Squad played some sort of card game every night. Even Nooj wasn't immune to an intense game of "Hold 'Em." Baralai won more often than anyone could ever imagine, and Gippal never could keep a poker face. Paine sometimes dealt the cards, sometimes not. Either way, no one could study her because trying to read her was like trying to read a statue.

"Read 'em and weep!" Gippal boasted while throwing down what he thought was a Royal Flush.

"A Royal Flush?" Nooj raised his eyebrows. "More like a Royal dump! All of the cards have to match, not just four out of five."

"They do match!" Gippal insisted, but when Baralai shook his head and pointed at one of the cards, Gippal sighed. "Are you serious? I swear that clubs and spades look the same."

Nooj threw down a Full House. "You lose!"

"Aw man!"

Losing took the fun out of goofing off, but it never stopped Gippal from trying. When they didn't play cards, Baralai and Nooj read books to pass the time. Gippal fixed his guns while Paine sometimes snuck in a recording here and there. These kinds of days often ended up being major snoozers for the young Al Bhed. Still, it never stopped him from finding something to do, like say, pick on Baralai.

"Gippal, please!" Baralai tried to untangle himself from Gippal arms, but couldn't.

"Come on, you know you like it!"

Gippal considered the statement fact rather than opinion, but Baralai's response proved it one way or another. Either he ended up leaning into the embrace, or he found himself on the floor with Gippal on top, clothes in a pile, and any noises silenced by kisses. Both of them assumed that Nooj and Paine behaved in a similar manner. Not that Gippal could prove it. Still, he often wondered even while resting beside Baralai.

Sometimes hovers came into play while goofing off. Baralai looked at them like they were horrible beasts ready to kill people. Such a look never stopped him from using guns, but Baralai always claimed that guns never moved like hovers.

"Don't worry about it, Baralai". Gippal waved his hands as if trying to dispel any and all fears his best friend had. "I've got mad skills!"

"I don't care about your mad skills," Baralai replied, looking sick. "I am not getting on that thing."

He rode it anyway. The look in his dark eyes screamed "I'M CURIOUS THOUGH", and Gippal quite naturally played on that. The young Al Bhed drove fast, a habit he knew he would never break no matter how much Baralai chided him. He couldn't help but smile when the wind brushed through his hair or when the sand swished around the moving machina. Baralai tried to remain stoic, but failed with a single small smile while he watched Gippal handle the hover.

"Want to learn sometime?" Gippal asked.

Baralai shrank into the seat. "Uh, I don't know. Maybe later."

Later. Every time Gippal heard something about later, he remembered his parents saying things like, "Bah, later never comes." He tended to believe that too, but the look in Baralai's eyes indicated that later would become eventually because curiosity killed young Yevonites. For now, Gippal simply ran his hand up Baralai's thigh, making sure that later never did come, then his best friend most certainly would.

At night, just about every Crimson Squad member had campfires going and they became conversation pits. Nooj enjoyed it because he never shut up. Neither did Baralai. They spoke of many things, especially philosophy. Paine chimed in every once in awhile, but for the most part, she just relaxed under the stars. Gippal never bothered saying anything because blabbering about religion bored him to tears. Instead, he stargazed while reliving memories of desert digging and deciding to protect Spira without the use of Summoners. Once back inside tents, Gippal simply claimed Baralai for himself. No philosophy required.

Gippal never counted sex as goofing off. Any pastime that caused sweating counted as work. Fun work, of course, but still work. Not that Baralai caused any difficulty, because he didn't. They simply moved so much they could have burst into flames.

"Not exactly goofing off, is it?" Gippal panted, his head on Baralai's shoulder.

"Who says it is?"

"Eh, I don't know. Maybe Nooj would think so."

"I seriously doubt it." Baralai snuggled close. "I don't think Nooj and Paine are any better than we are when it comes to goofing off."

"I never cared to find out." Gippal yawned. "I don't plan on doing it now."

"Me neither."

Breakfast usually consisted of non-perishables and as much water as Crimson Squad members could drink. Training consisted of more monster baiting right before killing them. The afternoon sun killed any chance of doing anything other than sitting inside a tent, doing nothing but complain of the heat, read, or sleep. Everyone lived with it, but only the Al Bhed and Baralai were used to it.

"You think Nooj complains about the heat?" Gippal asked while Baralai rested in a sleeping bag.

"I can't imagine Nooj complaining about anything." Baralai frowned. "Why?"

"Just wondering. Bored, I guess." Gippal shrugged. He looked outside, noticing that the air looked like the sun pissed on it. "Today's not a good day. It's hotter than usual. Hell, I don't even feel like having some sexy time."

Baralai stretched. "I think we've had enough 'sexy time' for right now."

"I hate times like this. You can't even goof off properly."

"Hmm . . . you did say yourself that sex wasn't exactly goofing off." Baralai grinned.

"Oh," Gippal replied, rubbing his neck. "Yea, I did say that." He couldn't resist climbing into the sleeping bag, but even in the comfort of his best friend's arms, he simply wasn't in the mood. "You're more used to the heat than I am because I can't get my dick hard and you're right next to me."

"Then you should sleep." Baralai wrapped his arms around Gippal's waist. " 'The ultimate form of goofing off', like Nooj would say."

"Yea, he would say something like that, and he'd be right too, especially today."

"Maybe later on tonight, we can quit goofing off and do some 'work'.

Gippal closed his eyes, helplessly smiling. "Yea, great idea."


End file.
